Gun supporting slings



May 12, 1959 L. G. ARPIN 2,885,812

GUN SUPPORTING SLINGS Filed om. 19. 1956 INVENTOR; Zea/v 6: 14/2 UnitedStates Patent 2,885,812 GUN SUPPORTING 'srnscs Leon G. Arpin, NorthCaldwell, NJ.

Application October 19, 1956, Serial No. 617,093

3 Claims. (Cl. 42-85) This invention relates to gun supports or slingsfor v facilitating the carrying of a gun. a

The gun carrier of this invention is very simply applied to anddisengaged from a gun butt. Although the gun may be used while the slingis connected it will substantially always release from the gun when thegun is raised for firing. In this way it will ofier no impediment tocontrolled firing. I The invention is realized by providing an adaptorgun butt plate which is substituted for the normal gun butt. Of course,it is realized that the particular plate provided in this invention maybe original equipment. However, considering the device as an adaptorplate, after removing the conventional gun butt plate, the adaptor plateis secured to the gun butt. The adaptor plate is provided'with a recessslot which enables a shoulder strap with a supporting pin to be securedto the adaptor plate through said slot. The supporting pin is rotatablein the slot so that the gun can assume any desired carrying position andis further permitted to release almost instantaneously preparatory tofiring.

In a modified form, the adaptor plate is formed of resilient rubber sothat it serves as a recoil pad. The recess slot is provided by means ofa metal insert embedded in the rubber and which is formed with therequired slots for receiving the supporting pin.

In a further modified embodiment, the adaptor plate is of live rubberbut is further provided with a sleeve which slips on to the gun butt sothat it is unnecessary to screw the device to the gun butt as in theprevious embodiments.

Finally, an embodiment is shown which is insertable between the gun buttand the conventional gun butt plate which is retained for use. All theembodiments herein are shown as having opposing recess slots so thateither one may be used thus accommodating the device to eitherleft-handed or right-handed users.

The invention will be further understood from the following descriptionand drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective, fragmentary view of the improved sling asconnected to a gun butt;

Figure 2 is an elevational, fragmentary view of the modified gun buttadapted for receiving the carrying strap;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal, cross-sectional view of the modified gunbutt as illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal, cross-sectional view similar to Figure 3with the carrying strap removed but illustrating a modified embodiment,the view being shown as taken substantially along the line 44 of Figure5;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the modified adaptorplate;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating afurther modified embodiment;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 7--7 ofFigure 6; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating anadditional modified embodiment.

The sling comprises an adjustable carrying strap 10 such as was shown inmy co-pending application Serial No. 605,365, filed August 21, 1956, nowPatent Number 2,828,058. The strap is suspended as usual, from theopposite shoulder of the user. Arm 11 is supported by the strap 10. Arm11 is rigid and may have a coatmg or jacket of soft plastic or rubbermaterial so as to avoid marring the gun butt finish. I

Integral with arm 11 is a perpendicularly disposed stem 13 which isreduced in diameter at 14 to provide circular supporting pin 15. Thestem .including the pin 15 is preferably of metal.

The adaptor plate 16 may be formed of conventional plastic materialssuch as nylon or the like although it may be conveniently formed ofaluminum or other metal if desired. It may be in the order of V2" thickand is formed with passages 17 enabling the plate to be secured to a gunbutt. It may be observed that ordinarily the factory supplied gun buttplate will be removed and the plate 16 substituted. The same screws willbe reapplied through the passages 17 with the inner face 16a abuttingthe outer face of the gun butt base.

- The sides of the adaptor plate 16 are each provided with countersunkV-shapedslots 18 having an enlarged entrance passage 19 terminating inan inner apex. This apex constitutes the closed end of slot 18 andcomprises a countersunk recess 20 forming a seat for the pin'15. Thecountersunk recess is formed by undercutting the sides of the Vperipherally to provide a V-shaped groove 21. The V-shaped slots 18 havetheir apices or inner recesses 20 extending in the direction of innerfaces 16a of the adaptor plate, the entrance passage ormouth 19extending oppositely or toward the outer face of the adaptor plate.

The arm 11 is connected to the installed adaptor plate by slipping thepin 15 into the entrance passage 19 so that it becomes seated in thecountersunk recess 20, such recess being, of course, continuous with theentrance 19. It will be understood therefore that the pin 15 is capableof rotating movement within the recess 20 while nevertheless securelysupporting the gun in a variety of suspended positions. As above stated,both sides of the adaptor plate are formed with slots 18 to accommodateboth right and left-handed users.

In Figure 4, is shown an adaptor plate 25 which is formed of live rubberso that it functions as a recoil pad. In this event, it is desirable tosupply a metal or hard plastic insert 26 at the sides of the plate inwhich is formed the countersunk recess 20a. It is apparent that a liverubber recess would be undesirable since it might encourage accidentaldisengagement of the supporting pin.

The live rubber embodiment of Figure 4 further lends itself tofacilitate installation requiring neither removal of the factorysupplied butt plate nor fastening by screws. Thus it is shown as beingprovided with an integral soft rubber sleeve 27 which embraces the gunbutt 28 including its original butt plate 29 so that screwing theadaptor plate to the gun butt is unnecessary. Thus, the adaptor maycomprise the live rubber butt plate together with the integral sleevewhich is simply slipped over the gun butt so as to be firmly securedthereon. The metal insert 26 serves the same function as hereinabovedescribed.

It is understood that both opposing inserts 26 may be integral or maycomprise two separate pieces one on each side of the adaptor plate.

In the previous embodiments, the slots 18 are formed wholly in sidewalls of the adaptor plate which is made thick enough to so form them.However, in the embodiment of Figure 6, adaptor plate 30 is shown as athin,

planar metal plate 05 the same general configuration as the conventionalbutt plate which is shown as at 31. Plate 30 is formed with a pair ofoppositely disposed, inwardly depending ears32 and 33 having slotseither of which may be used depending upo'nwhether the'us'er isleft-handed or right-handed. Eachear is' V-shaped and formed with 'anentrance opening 341arger than the seating recess 35. Seating recess 35is the apex of a V- shaped groove in which the pin 15 becomes seated.

This last-named embodiment is employed by temporarily removing theconventional gun butt plate 31 and then inserting the adaptor plate 30between the conventional gun'buttplate and the gun butt, using the samescrews to re-fasten the-elements. It may be noted that the adaptor plate30 may, if desired, be secured outwardly of the Conventional gun buttplate where it will perform substantially the same function.

' In any of the above embodiments, it

will be under? stood that a locking. pin 35 as shown in Figure 8 may Ibe employed to prevent release of the gun when it is brought intofiring. position.

In such a case, the pin 35 willbe'slid across the recess 35 into keeper36 and will prevent disengagement of the pin from the recess 'when thegun is brought into firing position; In this case, the gun 'will be usedwhile the sling is connected thereto.

It will also be noted that since the gunacts as -a weight upon the.sling, the layers of the adjustable strap and may conveniently be usedto hold shells or the like I whichare immediately available to the userbefore he 10 as shown in Figure 1 will be brought closer together '30with. The pin 15 is further most easily returned to its slot whendesired.

While I have described what I believe to be the best in an outer sidewall of the body of said plate, a pin removably and rotatably receivedin the apex of said slot, a rigid arm at one end of which said pin isintegrally and perpendicularly formed, and a carrying belt connected tothe other end of said arm.

'2. A gun carrier according to claim 1 and wherein said slot is undercutto provide a peripheral groove along the sides of the V.

3. A gun carrier according-to claim 2 and wherein said plate comprisesan inner 'face which is secured to the gun butt base, said V-shaped slotextendingperpendicularly to said plate and having its apex in thedirection of said inner face and its mouth in the direction of the outerface of said plate, .theback of said slot being closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS777,095 Harvey I Dec. 13, 1904 1,425,353 Burbery Sept. S 1922, swan ilam June 124.4. FOREIGN PATENTS 597,376 Germany May 24, 1934

